Device for removing sugar from centrifugal machines.



` R. LOUGHER.

DEVICE FOR REMOVING SUGAR FROM CENTRIPUGAL MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZB, 1913.

Patented July 28, 1914,n

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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wuamtoo Rolfe/'t 0mg/)leer @Mii/buzos@ SH01/nag R. LOUGHER.

DEVICE FOR REMOVING SUGAR FROM CENTRIPUGAL MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZB, 1913. 1,105,444., Patented July 28, 1914 2 SHBETSSHBET 2.

Ifober Long/@er i2/@Hm wow uni'inn sra'ig'ns PATENT ernten l' ROBERT Louer-inn, or PAPAIKOU, rERmron'Y' ory Hawaii.

envien son nnmov'ine suena rabia1 caNT'airueAL Miionmns'r Patented Jly 2:8-, 1914;"

Appuuation mea may 2s, 1913. serial no. 770,455.-

To all whom t may' concern:

Be. it known that I, Ronirr LoUciiEn, a citizen of Great Britain, residing at Papalkou, in the county of Hawaii and Territory of Hawaii, have invented new and useful improvements 1n Devices for Removing Sugar from Centrifugal Machines, of' which the following is a specification'.

This invention relates to a device or apparatus for removing sugar deposits from ccntrifu'gals after the molasses is purge therefrom.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device or apparatus of this char'- actciwhich is'simpleV and etiicient in construction and operation and by means ofl The invention consists of the features of construction,l combination and arrange-nient of parts hereinafter fully describedV and claimed, reference being had to-tli'e accompanying drawings, in' which Figure 1 is a sectional perspective view of two adjacent centrifugal machines, showing the device arranged for operation in one oi' the machines. Fig. 2 is a sectional view through one of the machines, showing the deviceV supported in retracted or normal elevated position. Fig. 3 is a sectional eleva tion, with a portion of the pos't broken away, showing the raising and'lowering lever and certain features of construction. Fig. 4 is a horizontal transverse section through the horizontal track arm and parts mounted thereon. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail section showing the' construction of the cutr ting disk.

Referring to the drawings, A and B designate two adjacent centrifugal machines, and C and D, respectively the shell and rotary basket of each machine. Supported in bearing brackets 1, disposed between and secured tothe shells C, is a vertical post 2,

which is slidably and rotatably mounted in' saidbearing bracket. At its upper end 'this' post carries an internally threaded bearing member 3, supporting a horizontally extending track arm 4. This track' arm is preferably composed of a air of spaced rails,suitably fastened at t cir inner ends to' the bearing lmember 3 and suitably con' iiected and held in spaced relation at their outer ends.

A carriage 5 is mounted to travel upon the arm 4 and supports a vertically movable bar 6, which is fitted to slide vertically therethrough, but held from rotary motion. This b ar is provided with rack teeth 7 meshing with n pinion 8 on the outer end of a rod or shaft 9. This shaft extend'slon:

gitudinally of the track arm and is jourf.

naled at its inner end in a hollow sha-ft 10 provided with external threads engaging the threads o the bearing memberA 3. The shafts 9 and 10 are res ectively provided at their inner ends witii hand wheels 11 and 12 or other suitable means wliereb they4 may be adjusted. Stops 13 are provi ed on.

the shaft 9 to hold itagainst' longitudinal motion with respect to th'e shaft 10,' while` permittingit to revolve within and independently of said shaft..

It will be understood from the foregoing description that by means of the hand wheel 11 the shaft 10 may be rotated to travel forwardly or rearwardly in the bearing member 3, in whichoperations it carries the shaft 9 with it, whereby the carriage 5 and i bar 6 may be caused .to travel along the track arm 4. Also it will be understood that by turning the hand Wheel 12 the shaft 9 may be independently operated to rotate the pinion 8,-whereb'y the rack bar will be vertically adjusted. It will also be understood that the post 2 may be vertically adjusted in th'e bearings l'to raise or lower the parts supported thereby, and is capable of beingl turned or rotated in saidbearings to swing the arm and rack bnr into different operative positions,l as hereinafter described.

Fitted upon the lower end of the rack bar is a guard or deflecto'r 14 having a facing l5 of leather or other comparatively soft material, anddisposed in proximity to said guard or shield'i's a' rotary cutting disk 16; This disk is of' concave-convex form and preferably made of wood'or other suitable material and secured with metallic backing' plates ordisks 17 to a hub 18, preferably'v composed ofA threaded members between which the disks and backing plates are securely clamped. The hub is mounted upon an axle pin or bolt 19 which is suitable sccured to a shank or arm 20. The arm 2O is adjustably mounted in an eye 21 formed upon one end of a bolt 22, which passes through the guard or shield 14 and lower end of the rack bar 6 and is provided with a clamping nut 23 whereby the parts are firmly united. The shank 20 is adapted to tit within a recess 24 provided for its accommodation in the outer face of a head' or Washer 25 having an inner toothed face adapted to interlock with a correspondingly toothed member '26 on the rack bar or delector, whereby upon slacking the nut and bolt, the shank is rendered capable of longitudinal adjustmentthrough the eye 21 and of vertical adjustment on the bolt as an axis, and to be rmly clamped in adjusted position by screwing up the nut to tighten the bolt and throw the toothed members into locking engagement. By this means the cutting disk 16 is adapted to be adjusted laterally with relation to the rack bar, and also to be adjusted vertically to vary its working angle.

The lower end of the post 2 seats within a socket 27 pivotally supported by a treadle or foot lever 28 mounted u on a supporting bracket 29 lixed to the ibor or any other suitable foundation. The post is adapted to drop by gravity through the bearings 1 to a lowered position, and may be elevated by depressing the free end of the lever 28. The said free end of the lever 28 is adapted, when depressed, to be moved into engagement with a latch device or keeper 30, whereby the ost may be held in an elevated position whi e it is being turned or rotated on its axis. A U-shaped latch, keeper or holding member 31 may be provided upon the top or rim of the shell of each centrifugal to receive the arm 4 and lock the device as a whole against swinging movements in the brackets 1 when the device is arranged in position for use within the centrifugal.-

Fig. 1 shows the position of the device when disposed for use in the centrifugal A. As indicated, the arm 4 extends inwardly over the shell of the centrifugal A and the rack bar 6 hangs down into the shell, thus supporting the cutting disk 16 in position to act upon the Wall or body of sugar with these adhering to the inner surface of the cage of the centrifugal after the molasses has been purged or withdrawn from the machine. When so disposed, the post 2 is lowered to engage the arm 4 with the keeper 31 and the rack bar 6 is initially lowered to bring the cutting disk 16 and guard 14 close to the bottom of the pan andy in proximity to the deposit of sugar. `When so disposed the disk 16 is arranged at an angle with the lowest portion of its cutting edge engaging incase/i the body of sugar, its convex surface facing upwardly and outwardly, and its concaved surface facing inwardly and downwardly and toward the adjacent surface of the guard or deflector 14. When the parts are so arranged, the centrifugal is thrown into operation to rotate the basket D, whereupon the disk will cut into the body of sugar and be rotated on its axis thereby cutting out the sugar in an effective manner. As the disk cuts away the body of sugar the wheel 11 is turned to feed the carriage outwardly and adjust the disk laterally toward the wall of the basket, which action is continued until the deposit of sugar in the horizontal plane of the cutter is entirely removed. The disk is then adjusted inwardly by means of the wheel 11 and vertically to cut out the sugar at a high elevation, and this operation is continued until the whole of the sugar is removed from bottom to top of the basket. This operation, of course, may be varied by allowing the disk to cut in a continuous vertical plane, while being elevated, from bottom to top of the. basket, then causing it t0 travel downward, and so on, until the sugar is removed. In its cuttin action the dished or concaved .side of the isk throws the sugar inwardly and away from the side wall of the basket and against the guard or deflector 14, which guides it down toward the bottom of the cage for discharge through openings therein,.the guard or deflector preventing the sugar from being thrown across the separator by centrifugal force, and insuring the rapid and free discharge of the removed sugar through the outlet. After the removal ofthe sugar from the basket, the rack bar is elevated to raise the cutter and guard to the normally inoperative position shown in F ig. 3, in which position the cutter and guard lie within the shell, but out of the way of the revoluble basket. If, after removing the deposit of sugar from the centrifugal A, it is desired to remove a deposit of sugar from the centrifugal B, the opera tor then depresses the foot lever 28 and engages it with the keeper 30, thus lifting the cutter and guard clear of the rst named centrifugal, allowing it to be swung by turning the post 2 in the bearings 1, for the use of the device in the separator B.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that my invention provides a. de.- vice or apparatus for removing deposits of sugar from centrifugals, which provides a quickly acting cutter adapted to coperate with a guard to feed the removed sugar toward the bottom outlet, thus insuring its quick discharge, and that the cutter is adjustable toward and from the guard, also vertically to vary its working angle, and is further adjustable vertically and laterally by the controlling mechanism acting upon the rack bar 6 to cut away the body of sugar lfrom top to bottom of the cage and until junction with two adjacent centrifugals.

I claim zl. In a device for removing deposits of sugar from centrifugals, the combination with a pair of adjoining centrifugals, of a support rotatably and slidably supported between the centrifugals, means for elevating said support, an arm carried by the support to extend over the top of a centrifugal, said arm being adapted by vertical and rotary adjustments of the support to be disposed over either of said centrifu als, a guard adjustable on the arm, means or adjusting the saine, a bar supported by the guard and adapted to depend into the centrifugal over which the arm is arranged, and a rotary cutter carried by said bar.

2. ln a device for removing sugar deposits from centrifugals, the combination of a rotary and vertically adjustable support,-

an arm extending horizontally therefrom, a guard slidably adjustable on the arm, means lor adjustingr said guard, a bar carried by and pendant from the guard, a concavo' 'convex cutter wheel supported by the bar to work at an angle thereto, and a guard carried by the bar and arranged in proximity to the concaved t'acc of the cutter.

3. ln a device for removing sugar deposits t'rom centrit'ugals the combination of a supporting post. an arm carried thereby, a carriage adjustable on the arm, means for adjusting said carriage, a bar pendent from the carriage, means for vertically adjustingr said bar, and a cutting disk carried by the bar.

Ll. ln a device for removing sugar deposits 'trom centritiugals, the comliination of a post, an arm carried thereby, a carriage adjustable on the arm, means for adjusting said carriage. a bar pendant from the carriage, a dished disk cutter carried b v said bar, means tor vertically adjusting the bar. and a `guard or shield carried by the bar and arranged in rear ot the concaved face otz the cutter.

ln a device for removing sugar deposits `From rientritugals, the combination oi a. post` an arm carried thereby, a carriage adjustable along the arm. means for adjusting the same, a bar pendant from the car riage, means for vertically adjusting said bar. a rotary dished cutter carried by the bar, and a guard or shield upon the bar in rear of and in proximity to the concaved surface of the cutter.` y

6. 1n a device for removing sugar deposits from centrit'ugals, the combination of a post, an arm carried by the post, a carriage adjustable on the arm, screw gearing for adjusting the carriage, a bar pendant from the carriage, rack and pinion gearing for vertically adjusting said bar, and a cutter carried by the bar.

7. In a device for removing sugar den4 posits from centrifugals, the combination of a ost, an arm carried thereby, a carriage adjustable on the arm, means for adjusting the same, a bar pendant from the carriage, means tor vertically adjusting said bar, a shank carried by the bar, a dished cutting disk revolubly supported by the shank to work at an angle to the plane of the bar, and a guard or shield supported by the bar in proximity to the concaved face of the cutter.

8. In a device for removing sugar deposits from centrifugals, the combination of a post, means for raising and lowering the same, an arm carried by the post, a carriage adjustable on the arm, means for adjusting the same, a bar pendent from the carriage means for vertically adjusting said bar, and a dished rotary cutting disk supported by the bar.

9. In a device for removing sugar deposits from centrifugals, the combination of a post, supporting means in which the post is rotatably and slidably mounted, means for raising and lowering the post and hold` ing the same elevated, an arm carried by the post, a support pendent trom the arm and vertically and horizontally adjustable thereon, means for adjusting said support, and a cutter carried b v said support.

10. In a device for removing sugar deposits from centritugals, the combination of a post, means slidably and rotatably supporting the same, means 'l'or raising and lowering the post and holding the same elevated, an arm carried by the post, a su port vertically and horizontally adjustab e on the arm, means tor adjusting said support, a cutter carried by said support, and means for holding the device from rotary movement on the post as an axis when said device is in a predetermined position.

ln testimony7 wher-cotE l atlix my signature in presence ot two witnesses.

ROBERT LOUGHER.

W'itnesses 1 R. T. Foimns'r, HARRY K. BROWN. 

